Wire connector clip



April 16, 1968 G, B. GLovER lV WIRE CONNECTOR CLIP Filed March 28, 1966 United States Patent O M 3,378,807 WIRE CONNECTOR CLIP George B. Glover IV, Hialeah, Fla., assignor to Lumidor Products Corporation, Hialeah, Fla., a corporation of Maryland Filed Mar. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 537,962 3 Claims. (Cl. 339-32) This invention relates to wire connecting devices and is more particularly directed to a wire connector clip.

When it is desired to connect two wires together at their ends presently in communications systems, a B-wire connector is used. A plastic jacket, of which the B-wire connector is made, insulates the ends of the wires. In order to make a temporary electrical connection with these wires that are connected together by the B-wire connector, the latter must be either torn oli, mutilated or lpierced by a conductor in order to contact the ends of the wires. The present invention contemplates making an electrical connection with the wires bound together by the B-wire connector without the necessity of destroying the B-wire connector. Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a wire connector clip which is capable of making an electrical connection with wires that are connected together by means of a B-wire connector without t-he necessity of having a mutilate or destroy the B-Wire connector.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wire connector clip for receiving and holding securely a B-wire connector and making an electrical connection with the wires connected together by the B-wire connector wherein the wire connector clip is simple in construction, inexpensive in cost and can be readily removed from the B-wire connector when the electrical connection is no longer desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification with the understanding, however, that the invention is not conned to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modied so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a wire connector clip constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end view.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are top and side elevational views respectively with a B-wire connector shown by dotted lines.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral y refers to a wire connector clip ernbodying my invention and consisting of a flat -base memiber 11 made of non-conductive material such as plastic and the like. The base member 11 is provided with a post 12 mounted at one end, which post 12 extends upwardly of the base member 11 and terminates in a lip or flange portion 13 extending inwardly and at a substantially horizontal direction. At the other end of the Ibase member 11, there is an end wall 14 and adjacent side walls 15 which extend forwardly a relatively short distance and then tapers downwardly as along 16 to the base member 11. The rear wall 14 and walls 15 form a cavity for receiving a contact making assembly as is explained in detail hereinafter, the rear wall 14 being provided with a lbore 17.

Positioned within the aforementioned cavity is an L- shaped clip support made of electrical conductive ma- 3,378,807 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 lCe terial and consisting of a body portion 18 lying on the base member 11 with a leg portion 19 lying against the inner surface of the rear wall 14. The body portion 18 is made fast to the base member 11 by a stud 20 extending upwardly of the base member 11 and through an opening 21 in the body portion 18. The free end of the stud 20 is peened to secure the body portion 18 against displacement on the base member 11. The leg portion 19 is provided with a bore 22 aligned with the bore 17 for receiving a conductive contact pin 23 that extends therethrough.

The contact pin 23 which is pointed at one end, is provided with a head 24 at the other endl and a retaining washer 25 secured on the pin 23 intermediate the ends of the pin 23. Also mounted on the contact pin 23 is a coil spring 26 which extends between the leg 19 of the clip support and the retaining washer to yieldingly urge the pointed end of the pin 23 forwardly and the head 24 of the pin 23 in contact engagement with the rear wall 14.

A pair of ears or tabs 27 extend downwardly of the sides of the body portion 18 to a position below the base member 11. A pin 28 extends between the tabs 27 and pivotally supports an alligator clip 30 at its midportion. The alligator clip 30l consists of a handle 31 at one end and a lip portion 32 on which a plurality of teeth 33 are formed.

`On the lower surface of the base member 11 is a V- shaped slot 34 extending longitudinally from the forward end of the -base member 11 with a plurality of transverse serrations formed in the slot 34. There is a second V- shaped slot 35 which extends transversely of the base member 11 in proximity of the teeth 33 of the lip 32. The function of the V-shaped slots 34 .and 35 is to cooperate with the teeth 33 of the lip portion 32 of the alligator clip 30 to` securely hold a terminal as described in detail hereinafter.

A coil spring 37 that is wound about the pin 28 is provided with leg portions 8 and 39 which abut against the base member 11 and handle 31 to yieldingly maintain the lip portion 32 in contact relation with 'the forward end of the base member 11. A bolt 40 threadedly mounted in a bore 41 formed in the handle 31 acts as a terminal post for a conductor 46 which connects the slip 30 to an instrument or whatever it is necessary to electrically connect the insulated wires 41 and 42.

The wires 41 and 42 are connected or spliced together at their ends by means of a conventional B-wire connector 43 which consists of a metallic sheath 44 enshrouding the ends of the wires 41 and 42 so that ends become electrically connected together. A tubular plastic cover 45 is then placed over the sheath 44 to insulate Ithe metallic sheath.

As an illustration in demonstrating the usefulness of my wire connector clip 10, all Wires in telephone circuits emanating from a persons house are connected -to a wire leading to the exchange building by means of a B-wire connector. In attempting to locate a certain line or checking it out or in locating an unused line, the telephone technician will either remove the B-wire connector 43 or mutilate it by piercing through the insulator cover 45 with a sharp instrument. f.

In the use of my wire connector clip 10 the B-wire connector 43 is not removed nor does it have to be replaced. All that need be done is place the free end of the B-wire connector 43 at the pointed end of the contact pin 23 and slide the connector 43 until it engages the retainer washer 25 and compresses the coil spring 26. The other end of the B-wire connector 4 is then abutted against the post r12 with the wires 42 straddling the post 12. The contact pin 23 will have pierced the metallic sheath 44 thereby making electrical contact with the wires 42. The electrical energy of the wires 42 will be conducted through the Contact pin 23, the coil spring 25, then through the metallic clip support consisting of the leg portion 19, body portion 18, tabs 27, clip 30 and nally to the terminal d@ and lead wire 46 which is connected to a head set or appropriate meter (not shown). The V-slots 34 and 35 are for receiving terminal posts, which can be readily inserted and removed thereforrn if a further connection is required.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A wire connector clip comprising a substantially elongated base member having a post mounted at one end of said lbase member and an end wall at the other end thereof, said end wall having an opening, said base member ybeing a nonconductor of electricity, a conductor strip lying on said base member and having a leg portion lying along said end wall, means fastening said conductor strip to said base member, said leg portion having an opening in alignment with said opening in said end wall, tab portions mounted on said conductor strip and extending on each side of said base member, and alligator clip means pivotally mounted between said tab portions, spring means resiliently maintaining said alligator clip means in contact relation with said base member, contact pin means extending through said openings having a point at one end extending in the direction of said post, a head mounted on the other end of said Contact pin means engaging an outer portion of said end wall, a

retaining washer mounted on said contact pin means intermediate said ends and a coil spring mounted on said contact pin means and extending between said retaining washer and said leg portion of said conductor strip.

2. The structure as recited by claim 1 wherein said alligator means comprises a substantially elongated body portion having a handle portion at one end, a lip portion at the other end, and a plurality of prongs forming a tooth portion at said lip portion engaging said base member.

3. The structure as recited :by claim 2 wherein said base member is provided with a longitudinally disposed slotted portion in alignment with said lip portion of said alligator clip means and a second slotted portion trans- "versely disposed of said base member, said slots being formed on the lower surface of said 'base member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 953,678 3/1910 Luther et al. 1,249,430 12/1917 Lewis. 1,521,197 12/1924 Lewis. 2,754,490 7/1956 Schnoll.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WIRE CONNECTOR CLIP COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY ELONGATED BASE MEMBER HAVING A POST MOUNTED AT ONE END OF SAID BASE MEMBER AND AN END WALL AT THE OTHER END THEREOF, SAID END WALL HAVING AN OPENING, SAID BASE MEMBER BEING A NONCONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY, A CONDUCTOR STRIP LYING ON SAID BASE MEMBER AND HAVING A LEG PORTION LYING ALONG SAID END WALL, MEANS FASTENING SAID CONDUCTOR STRIP TO SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID LEG PORTION HAVING AN OPENING IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OPENING IN SAID END WALL, TAB PORTIONS MOUNTED ON SAID CONDUCTOR STRIP AND EXTENDING ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BASE MEMBER, AND ALLIGATOR CLIP MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID TAB PORTIONS, SPRING MEANS RESILIENTLY MAINTAINING SAID ALLIGATOR CLIP MEANS IN CONTACT RELATION WITH SAID BASE MEMBER, CONTACT PIN MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS HAVING A POINT AT ONE END EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID POST, A HEAD MOUNTED ON THE OTHER END OF SAID CONTACT PIN MEANS ENGAGING AN OUTER PORTION OF SAID END WALL, A RETAINING WASHER MOUNTED ON SAID CONTACT PIN MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID ENDS AND A COIL SPRING MOUNTED ON SAID CONTACT PIN MEANS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID RETAINING WASHER AND SAID LEG PORTION OF SAID CONDUCTOR STRIP. 